Finely chop the onions and bell pepper. In a pan, heat the oil, add the vegetables and a little salt, cover, and cook over low heat until tender.

Add the ground beef (choose your preferred cut; I use roast beef for extra juiciness and trim some fat), and the teaspoon of sugar. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Remove from heat, season to taste, and transfer to a container.

Spoon the filling onto the empanada wrappers. Add a wedge of hard-boiled egg to each, or chop the egg and mix it into the filling if you prefer. (At this point, you can also add olives or raisins if you like.)

Moisten the edge of each wrapper with water using your fingertips, fold in half, seal the edges, and crimp to close.

Place the empanadas on a greased baking sheet, leaving space between them so they don’t stick.

Bake in a hot oven until golden brown.

They’re ready! Enjoy.